Connecting tool



J. 8 ZDANl-S April 28 1964 CONNECTING TOOL June- 27, 1963:.

Filed Wm M United States Patent ()fifice 3,130,484 Patented Apr. 28, 1964 3,136,484 CONNECTHQG TUOL John S. Zdanis, Water-town, Conn, assignor to The Siemon Company Filed June 27, 1961, Ser. No. 120,059 3 Claims. (Cl. 29-203) This invention relates in general to a plier-type connecting tool. More specifically, this invention is concerned with a tool which is particularly adapted for connecting an insulated electric wire to a helical electrical connector having a plurality of compact coils.

In my copending application, Serial No. 72,670, filed November 30, 1960, there is described an electrical connector of improved construction comprising a continuous spiral of a resilient conducting material which forms a plurality of closely spaced adjacent compact coils. When an insulated wire is forced transversely between the faces of two opposing coils, the electrical insulation on the wire is pierced at the point of contact between the edges of the coils and the conductor and an electrical contact is thereby established.

Previously, it has been the practice to force the insulated wire between the adjacent coils by gripping the wire at two places between the thumb and forefinger of each hand and pulling or pushing the insulated wire between the coils. Although this method is generally satisfactory, it is somewhat time consuming and may be diflicult to perform. Thus, when the fingers become moist with perspiration, the insulated wire has a tendency to slip when it is attempted to force it between the coils. Moreover, when a plurality of these helical connectors are embedded in a block, there is very little room for manipulation of the fingers between the individual connectors.

It is an object of this invention to provide a tool which facilitates the connection of an insulated electric wire to a helical electrical connector having a plurality of compact coils. It is another object of this invention to provide a tool which will enable an operator to quickly and easily make such a connection on a crowded terminal connecting block containing a plurality of closely spaced helical electrical connectors.

Briefly, the objects of this invention are attained by providing a novel connecting tool comprising two pivotally connected tool heads. The first tool head comprises a pair of bifurcated or spaced wire gripping means which are disposed in the same plane and which are adapted to hold an electric conductor wire extending across the space between the bifurcated wire gripping means. It is preferred that each of the wire gripping means he a bifurcated pair of opposing jaws which are adapted to be opened and closed by means of a pair of pivotally connected handles. The second tool head, which is preferably an elongated jaw type member, is located between and in a plane spaced apart from the pair of wire gripping means so that the first tool head and the second tool head will bear'on opposite sides of a helical connector which is positioned therebetween. A hand operated lever means is associated with the tool which is adapted to actuate the second tool head to cause it to move in the direction of the wire gripping members. The second tool head and the bifurcated wire gripping means cooperate to insert the wire between the coils of a helical connector. This cooperation is accomplished by positioning the bifurcated jaws adjacent one side of the helical connector and the second tool head against the opposite side thereof. As the two members are forced toward one another, the spaced portions of the bifurcated jaws pass by the helical connector and the wire gripped therebetween is forced between an adjacent pair of coils of the connector.

The preferred embodiment of this invention will be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a tool constructed according to this invention gripping an insulated Wire.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of a tool constructed according to this invention being used to connect an insulated electric wire to a helical electrical connector.

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a rear elevational view of FIGURE 2.

The drawings are more fully explained hereinafter with particular reference to the various numerical designations, each individual numeral having the same significance in the different figures.

Referring to the drawings in detail, FIGURE 1 shows a wire connecting tool 10 comprising a tool head 11, which is adapted to grip an insulated wire and an elongated jaw 12 pivotally connected to the bottom portion of the tool head 11.

The tool head 11 is bifurcated and may be V- or U- shaped so as to provide two elongated Wire gripping members 13--13 which are located in the same plane and which are separated by a space which is preferably larger than the outer diameter of the helical connector to which an insulated wire is to be connected. The elongated members 1313 may be of any construction suitable for gripping an insulated electric wire at two separate points transversely located on an insulated electric wire. In a preferred embodiment as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, each of the elongated members 1313 includes an upper jaw 14 and a lower jaw 15 thereby providing two pairs of opposing jaws. The upper jaws 14-44 are integral with the handle 16 and the lower jaws 1515 are integral with the handle 17. The handles 16 and 17 are pivotally connected by means of a pin 18 enabling the upper jaws 14-14 to be opened or closed relative to the lower jaws 15-15 by appropriate manipulation of the handles 16 and 17. A restoring spring 19 connects the handles 16 and 17 at the ends opposite the jaws. This spring holds the jaws in a closed position when not held open by an opposing force.

The jaw 12 is pivotally connected by means of a pin 20 to the lower portion of the tool head 11. A cam 21 projects from the rear portion of the jaw 12. The jaw 12 is actuated by means of a lever or handle 22 which is pivotally connected by means of a pin 23 to the bottom portion of the handle 16. When the lever 22 is pivoted, the forward end 22' engages the cam 21 and forces it downwardly thereby causing the jaw 12 to pivot upwardly in the direction of the wire gripping members 1313. A spring 24 connects the lever 22 with the lower portion of the jaw 12, thereby holding the jaw 12 in an open position relative to the wire gripping members 1313 in the absence of an opposing force exerted on the end of the lever 22.

To utilize the novel connecting tool of this invention, the handles 16 and 17 are spread apart thereby causing the upper jaws lid-14 to become separated from the lower jaws 1515. An insulated electric wire 25 is stretched transversely between the opposing pairs of jaws and the spreading force exerted on the handles is released. The spring 19 causes the handles 16 and 17 to draw together. The insulated electric wire is thereby securely held by the elongated wire gripping members 1313 as shown in FIGURE 1.

The tool is then positioned over a helical electrical connector 26 which, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, is embedded in block 27 of an insulating material. As illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4, the wire gripping members 1313 are placed so as to hold the insulated electric wire extending across the space between the gripping members on one side of the helical electrical connector 3 and the jaw 12 is situated on the opposite side of the helical connector. The lever 22 is forced in the direction shown by the arrow 28 in FIGURE 2 causing the lever end 22 to press against the cam 21, thereby actuating the .jaw 12 and causing it to bear against the side of the helical connector 26. Since the helical connector, when embedded in a stationary block, exerts an opposing force against the jaw 12, the wire gripping tool head 11 is forced in the direction of the jaw 12. The elongated wire gripping members 13-13 pass on either side of the helical connector 26 and the insulated electric wire 25 is thereby forced between the faces of two opposing coils 29-429.

The entire operation just described may be accomplished rapidly and easily, even on a crowded terminal connecting board. By the use of the connecting tool of this invention, insulated wires may be connected to helical electrical connectors from 5 to 10 times as quickly as the connections may be made manually.

I claim:

1. A tool for connecting an electric wire to a helical connector of the close coil type, said tool comprising a bifurcated wire gripping means comprising a pair of elements terminating in coacting free ends thereof, said free ends being formed to provide a pair of spaced gripping tines adapted to hold an electric wire extending across the space between said pair of spaced gripping tines; and a contacting member pivotally connected to said bifurcated wire gripping means, one free end of said contacting member being positioned intermediate said pair of spaced gripping tines; whereby when said contacting member is engaged against a helical connector positioned between the spaced tines, an electrical conductor held by said tines may be forced into a position between adjacent coil turns of said helical connector.

2. A wire applicator tool comprising a tool head having two bifurcated elongated wire gripping members, each of said bifurcated elongated wire gripping members comprising a pair of opposing jaws; a pair of handles integral with said tool head and adapted to open and close the opposing jaws on said wire gripping member; an elongated jaw pivotally connected to said tool head and being located between and in a plane spaced from said bifurcated wire gripping members; and hand operated means associated with said tool for causing movement of said jaw relative to said wire gripping members.

3. An applicator tool for connecting an electrical conductor to a helical connector of the compacted coil type comprising a bifurcated conductor gripping member and a contacting member pivotally connected to said gripping member; said bifurcated gripping member comprising a pair of pivotally connected elements, both elements terminating in coacting free ends thereof, each free end being formed to provide a pair of spaced gripping tines; one free end of said contacting member being positioned intermediate said pair of spaced gripping tines; whereby when said contacting member is engaged against a helical connector positioned between the spaced tines, an electrical conductor held by said tines may be forced into a position between adjacent coil turns of said helical connector.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,034,385 Hester May 15, 1962 

1. A TOOL FOR CONNECTING AN ELECTRIC WIRE TO A HELICAL CONNECTOR OF THE CLOSE COIL TYPE, SAID TOOL COMPRISING A BIFURCATED WIRE GRIPPING MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF ELEMENTS TERMINATING IN COACTING FREE ENDS THEREOF, SAID FREE ENDS BEING FORMED TO PROVIDE A PAIR OF SPACED GRIPPING TINES ADAPTED TO HOLD AN ELECTRIC WIRE EXTENDING ACROSS THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF SPACED GRIPPING TINES; AND A CONTACTING MEMBER PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID BIFUR- 